Convertible suspensory and supporter.



A. BAUER CONVERTIBLE SUSPENSORY AND SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED APRJG, 1908.

Patented June 18, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

b NQN COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D4 c.

A. BAUER.

CONVERTIBLE SUSPENSORY AND SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16, 190B.

Patented June 18, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COnWASHlNGTON. D. c

ITE STATES PATENT onsion.

ALECK BAUER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BAUER & BLACK, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CONVERTIBLE SUSPENSORY ANI) SUPPORTER.

1&30224.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 16, 1908. Serial No. 427,313.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEoK BAUER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Convertible Suspensories andSupporters, of which the following is a specification.

Suspensories and supporters have heretofore been largely used asarticles of mens attire, the former to suspend the scrotum leaving thepenis exposed and free, and the latter to confine these parts closely tothe body and principally used by actors and athletes. These suspensoriesand supporters have not been convertible, the one into the other, and sofar as I am aware could not be used one for the other. The supporter ismore particularly used by actors when on the stage and by athletes whenengaged in athletic work, but because it holds the parts tightly againstthe body and in a more or less inaccessible manner it is not used muchin a general way except by a few. The suspensory is more commonly usedthan the supporter and this is largely due to the fact that it does notconfine the penis. But the suspensory does not answer the purpose of asupporter and does not support the parts in the manner desired by andmost beneficial to those who engage in athletic sports and exercise andthose who are on their feet a large part of the time.

It is my object, therefore, to provide a convertible suspensory andsupporter which can be used as a suspensory with the penis exposed inthe usual manner for ordinary wear and readily changed to a supporterwith the penis and scrotum tightly confined against the body wheneverdesired.

Another object of the invention is to provide the article with bands forsecuring it in place and which will stretch the bandage tightly to holdit substantially flat against the body. And a further object of theinvention is to secure the bandage in place by a body band whichencircles the waist and by two leg bands which encircle the legs and areconnected with the bandage.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention as it appears inactual use and by simply indicating the outline of the wearer in brokenlines.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a front View showing the articleworn as a suspensory. Fig. 2 is also a front view but showing thearticle worn as a supporter. Fig. 3 is a rear view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa rear view of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 ofFig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 7 is the bandage, 8 is the body band and 9, 9, are theleg bands. The bandage is made of a suitable material, preferably aknitted fabric, and is sewed to a top strip 10, preferably of wovenfabric. The body band is made of elastic webbing or other suitablematerial, and its ends are sewed to the ends of the strip 10. The legbands are preferably made of the same material as the body band and theycan be conveniently made of a single strip folded upon itself and sewedto the lower portion of the bandage at 11 with its ends sewed to thebandage at 12 between the strip 10 and the lower end of the bandage. Thebandage is provided with a penis opening 13 and a flap 14L is arrangedat the back of the bandage 7 to cover the penis opening, as shown inFig. 2. This flap is preferably sewed to the strip 10 and the bandage 7at the lower edge of the strip 10 and it is adapted to be folded up andover the front of the strip 10 and engaged with the button 15, leavingthe penis opening 13 clear, as shown in Fig. 1. lVhile I prefer toconnect the parts of the article by sewing and to make them of thematerials specifically mentioned, they may be connected by any othersuitable means and made of any other suitablematerials.

It will be readily understood that the flap is folded over the strip 10,as shown in Fig. 1, and fastened or not, as desired, when the article isto be used as a suspensory, and that the flap is dropped down into theposition shown in F 2 when the article is to be used as a supporter.While it may be desirable to engage the flap with the button 15 it isnot absolutely necessary to do so in order to retain the flap in itselevated position. The securing bands are elastic and the article can bereadily converted from a suspensory to a supporter or from a supporterto a suspensory without removing it from the person and while it is usedas a supporter the flap can be moved to clear the opening 13 and permitthe penis to be thrust therethrough temporarily. The body band will holdthe bandage securely Patented June 18, 1912. I

in proper position on the body of the wearer and the leg bands willstretch the bandage laterally to cause it to hold the scrotum and thepenis tightly and snugly against the body and thus not only support theparts but hold them flat so that they will not be conspicuous ornoticeable even when snugly fitting garments are worn. Furthermore,these leg bands will extend almost straight around the leg and as theyare not connected in any way with the body band they will not pull downon the body band or the bandage but will pull the bandage taut acrossthe front and hold up the lower end thereof. These leg bands will notchafe the wearer or slip into an uncomfortable position.

In the preferred form of the bandage, as illustrated in the drawings, Idispense entirely with the use of buckles but if it is desired the bandsmay be made adjustable with buckles in a familiar manner. The bandagehas a fullness below the penis opening, preferably, to accommodate thescrotum and the bandage is shaped to fit the abdomen. The strip 10constitutes, in effect, the upper part of the bandage and it is made ofa material which does not stretch to maintain its shape.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a bandage provided with an opening, and means forsecuring the bandage in place, of a flap secured at its upper edge tosaid bandage and adapted to hang down' freely behind the bandage tocover the said opening, and means to secure the end of said flap to theouter side of said bandage, thereby leaving the opening exposed.

2. A combined suspensory and supporter comprising a bandage providedwith an opening and'a flap secured to the bandage above the opening onthe inner side of the bandage, adapted to either hang down back of theopening closing the same, or to be folded back and secured to thebandage leaving the opening clear, and means adapted to secure the flapin the said folded back position.

3. The combination with a bandage hav ing a penis opening and means forsecuring the bandage in place, of a flap fashioned to the bandage at theback thereof above the penis opening and adapted to hang down freely atthe back of the bandage to cover said opening or'be folded forwardlyover the upper edge of the bandage to leave said opening clear, andmeans at the free end of the flap and at the front of the bandage abovethe penis opening for securing the flap in folded position.

ALECK BAUER.

Witnesses:

FRED A. FALLINGER, WM. J. MCDONALD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

